01732 759725 20 PrintIT Reseller (PITR): What was your first job in print? Matt Hill (MH): I joined Konica in 1992. I helped to manage the company car fleet, which at 18 years old was great as I got to drive a lot of the demo cars that the manufacturers were hoping that we’d take on board! After six months, I moved into the core print part of the business, that really was at a key evolutionary stage of print, in the midst of analogue to digital and the early adoption of software. PITR: What led you to enter the sector? Did you choose print by design, or accident? MH: I think you’d be surprised if anyone said that they entered it by design, I certainly didn’t! But like most of us in this industry, once you’re in, you’re in! Back in the early 90s, I had aspirations to play professional cricket, that didn’t work out for a couple of reasons and I needed to earn some money. An opportunity came to me via a local agency, ironically, I recognised the Konica brand for cameras, not print, and that’s how I got into the industry. PITR: What excites you most about working in print today? MH: Print is no longer just about putting ink on paper; it’s become central to wider discussions around intelligent automation. To some degree, print and print management has become commoditised and the industry is at an inflection point. Print is being redefined from a cost centre into a more strategic entry point for enterprise automation. Every document that moves through a print or capture workflow contains data that has untapped value. We now have mature AI-driven document understanding that can convert unstructured data to apply decisions and outcomes, and scale that for customers. I think that’s where the industry is heading and what excites me most about that is obviously that’s the core of what we do at Tungsten. PITR: And what are the biggest frustrations or challenges? MH: Many organisations continue to operate legacy print fleets that remain disconnected from their wider technology investments. As a result, the print infrastructure, as a standalone area is not designed to integrate with downstream automation workflows. This limits the ROI. At the same time, we’re seeing a growing gap between the conversations organisations are having about AI and their ability to deliver practical, measurable AI outcomes. The real opportunity lies in closing those gaps with the channel and with customers. The other challenge is that this is a really highly competitive market. It’s more competitive today than it’s ever been, and customers’ expectations are unprecedented in terms of the speed that they’re asking vendors to deliver change. PITR: What (or who) do you think has had the greatest impact in the sector in recent years? MH: There’s been a number of things over the past few years. COVID drove the hybrid workforce and a different way to look at print specifically. We also have print vendors driving proprietary offerings rather than standardising on an ISV offering. Cloud print-as-a-service has really changed the industry, and there’s AI. AI was experimental just a couple of years ago and it’s now adding operational impact. All of that has created a more competitive environment, with different players focused on different areas, and the key is putting the customer first and driving long-term value for them. One of the things we’ve noticed in particular is that customers are actively asking how we, as the ISV can help them as they look to integrate their print requirements into their broader automation needs. PITR: If you could speak directly to someone who inspired or challenged you most in your career, what would you want to say to them today? MH: I’ve been very lucky to have worked with some really strong people and mentors throughout my career – direct line managers, peers, and colleagues, they have kept me learning every day, on my toes, focused and driven over the years. But if I were to pick one, I would go back to my first job. I remember the general manager at Konica saying to me: ‘What are you doing, Matt?’ And I said: ‘Well, what do you mean?’ He told me that I had the skillset, drive and desire to achieve whatever I wanted and he put me on a customised scheme to learn about the print business and the different areas of the organisation. He exposed me to all areas of the business and sponsored me through those early years of my career. One of the things he instilled in me is the importance of a can-do attitude and making sure I understood that relationships are long-term. I still hear his voice in the back of my head reminding me to keep that can-do attitude. Matt Hill, Vice President Sales, Tungsten Automation, shares details of his life in print, what he’s learned, and the highs and the lows of our unique and challenging industry My life in print INTERVIEW Matt Hill
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